Friday's Ask the Experts: Hard & Resilient Floorcare

Friday''s Ask the Experts question from a cleaning professional on the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN) "Ask the Experts" page: We were awarded a post construction clean that includes about 30,000 sq. ft. of Roppe cork flooring which we will be scrubbing, sealing, and finishing per contractor request. Our bidding is on the mark and there are no questions there, as I did general footwork on the cost of this project. My question is whether or not there may be a ''''spray-on'''' sealer we can use on this floor since it is so porous and has an actual sponge-like appearance. I want to be sure the first coat evenly penetrates all the spaces. I do have the manufacturer’s recommendation for sealers and that is what I plan to use but there are no guidelines as to application. Is it possible to use our gallon sprayers (new, of course, not to contaminate the sealer) to spray on that sealer? If we can’t apply with in the ''''spray-on'''' method, is it necessary to use a lamb’s wool applicator, or could we possibly use the Gearpress/Betco backpacks?

The answer:

We received no comments on this one either way, so you may want to experiment, if you have not already done so, to see if this approach will work. My concern with using a pressure sprayer is with the possibility of introducing air into the finish and having an uneven application due to the air bubbles. With that in mind, you may wish to contact the sealer source...